Pillow case manufacturing apparatus



June 14, 1960 A. D. DAMON PILLOW CASE mnvmcmme APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheetl Filld Kay 17, 1956 INVENTOR. ABRAM DURFEE DAMON Mai 5M ATTORNEY June14, 1960 A. D. DAMON 2,940,404

PILLOW CASE MANUFACTURING APPARATUS Filed May 17, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. ABRAM DURFEE DAMON BY 41 44 5 M s. MN ON mm m #4 mm m ATTORNEYJune 14, 1960 A. D. DAMON 2,940,404

PILLOW CASE MANUFACTURING APPARATUS Filad May 17, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3INVENTOR. ABRAM DURFEE DAMON ATITORNEY United States Patent 2,940,404PILLOW CASE MANUFACTURING APPARATUS Abram Dnrfee Damon, WappingersFalls, N.Y., assignor to Deering Millikan Research Corporation,Pendleton, S.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 17, 1956, Ser. No.585,540

8 Claims. (Cl. 112-10) separate steps by separate operators, eithermanually or on various separate machines. As a consequence, a largenumber of operators of sewing machines and the like were necessary tocarry out the various operations involved in the various steps ofmanufacture of pillow cases with resultant inefiiciency, timeconsumption and costliness. Furthermore, by virtue of the human elementinvolved in utilization of the various operators carrying out theseoperations, the final product achieved in this manner has not alwaysbeen reliably uniform.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an apparatus andmethod for substantially automatically carrying out the various steps inthe formation of pillow cases, bags and the like from full width textileweb material, thereby eliminating the necessity for a large amount ofhuman efiort.

It is a further object to provide an apparatus for manufacturing pillowcases, bags and the like which is capable of running substantiallycontinuously and carrying out all operations from the introduction offull width textile web material through the steps of doubling, sideseaming and bottom seaming of the pillow cases, as well as the stackingof the thus semi-completed pillow case forms into neat bundles.

It is still a further object to provide a transfer mechanism for thetransfer of items from one conveyor running in one direction to a secondconveyor running in a direction normal to the direction of the firstconveyor, and which is particularly adapted to the transfer of forms inthe manufacture of pillow cases, bags and the like, for joinder of theindividual juxtapositioned form edges which are parallel to thedirection of form movement.

A further object is the provision of a dofiing transfer for twoconveyors running at 90 to each other, the doifing end of one of theconveyors being positioned above the adjacent portion of the otherconveyor, with special provision being made for doffing action from theone conveyor to the other to take place in response to the passage ofobjects to be transferred over the dofiing end of one conveyor.

A still further object is the provision of an apparatus for doublingfiat open width web material or for opening doubled material, duringpassage through a 180 reverse flow tortuous path which is substantiallynormal to the general flow of the web material, whereby the general flowof material may be maintained in substantially the same direction bothinto and proceeding from the doubler arrangement.

Still other objects and many attendant advantages of the invention willbecome apparent to one skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription of one physi- 2 cal embodiment taken in conjunction with theaccord panying drawing wherein: a

Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a pillow case form ing machine inaccordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic side elevation of the initial portion of thearrangement illustrated in Figure l; 1

Figure 3 is a schematic side elevation of the remaining portion of thearrangement shown in Figure 1; A a

Figure 4 is a schematic illustration in perspective 0 the doublerarrangement, including also the selvage guide arrangement preceding thefirst sewing operation, the doubler arrangement being sectionally brokenand exploded vertically for purposes of clarity.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a portion of thedoubler arrangement with the cloth omitted for the purpose of clarity ofillustration.

Figure 6 is a schematic view in perspective of the dotiing transferarrangement;

Figure 7 is a schematic illustration of the thread sev:

ering arrangement subsequent to the second sewing operation.

Briefly, in carrying out the foregoing objects, the invention generallycomprises a method and apparatus whereby cloth or other web material isadvanced in open width relation, aligned, and single-doubled, afterwhich the juxtapositioned selvage edges are aligned and sewn togetherwhile progressing the cloth in substantially the same general directionas originally, thus forming a continuous side-seamed tube which is thenchopped into individual tube forms of desired length, and then sequenetially performing the interrelated steps of advancing the separate tubeforms in spaced apart relation and with their chopped open ends parallelto the direction of travel (particularly by changing the direction oftravel of the tubes without changing their general lateral relation),continuously sewing together the open ends of the successive tube formsto thereby close them at one end and tie the successive tubes togetherthrough an interconnecting thread, successively severing theinterconnecting thread between thesuccessive tube forms, and stackingthe thus formed individual pillow case forms or bags into stacks ofpreselected number.

Briefly, the illustrated embodiment whereby the invention is carried outcomprises in sequentially arranged relation a series of interrelatedfunctional elements including a laterally movable roll carriage forsupporting a roll of full width pillow case cloth, a selvage feeleratthe output side of the roll carriage and which senses misalignment or"the cloth as it leaves the roll carriage and causes the roll carriagedrive motor to realign the carriage and roll; a doubler arrangementcomprising parallel guide rolls and an intermediate differential clothguide system; a selvage aligning guide arrangement, including ahorizontal U-bar for holding the double web in distended relation, andselvage guides for aligning the selvage edges of the double web as itpasses over the hor-i zontal U-bar; a sewing machine for side-seamingthe doubled web and including a web-advancing head; a rotary cutter forcutting the side-seamed Web into desired lengths for tubular form; atape conveyor for conveying the cut lengths of tubing continuously fromthe rotary cutter and in separate spaced apart relation one from theother; a doifing transfer mechanism and a second couveyor running in adirection normal to that of the-first conveyor, whereby the cut tubularlengths of forms are transferred from the first conveyor to the secondconveyor with the open ends thereof being thus progressed along parallelto the lateral edges and direction of movement of the second conveyor; asecond sewing machine arranged along the second conveyor at a pointadjacent the lateral edge of the second conveyor for continuouslyoverlock-sewing the end of each of the successively pass "ing cuttubular forms; photoelectrically controlled severing means for severingthe connecting thread between 'the individual tubes; a second doffingarrangement for transferring the separate-individual pillow c'ase forms,or'fbags onto a third conveyor; and a third. conveyor which is operativeto move after the dofiing of a premost advantageous arrangement sinceunbalanced forces on the web material (i.e. cloth C) are minimized; howiever, as long as an includedangle of approximately 90determinednumbercof ,s'ewnrpillow case forms, or bags iutqastackedbundle thereon. r

Referring'more specifically to the figures of the drawing, a roll R ofcloth .C iss pported on a roll carriage 12 which consists of a steelframe 14 having wheels 16 enters the subsequent stages of processing, areversible motorL20 is mounted on the floor beneath the carriage frame14 (or may be mounted on the carriage frame 14,

r if desired) and is suitably connected in drive relation, Qasthrough achain and worm-screw arrangement of conventional construction to thecarriage frame 14 for driving the carriage back and forth along thetrack 18.

The clothC passes from the roll carriage 12 through adouble-contactfeeler guide switch 22 which is arranged in circuit-controlling relationwith the reversible motor 2!): Fceler guide switch 22 serves to sensethe position of 'theselvage'edge of the cloth as it passes thereby and'to actuatethe'motor 20in order to move the roll car- "r'rage 12 tocorrect any misalignment ofthe cloth as it passes this point. I

' The cloth nergtpasses hrough a first set of nip rolls 39,

which may be suitably driven as by a motor 31, and

whichfserVes to pull the cloth from the roll R. From the nip rolls 3 0,the cloth C proceeds past two air selvage guide arrangements 32 ofconventional construction which sen-veto further maintainthe alignmentof the cloth, the cloth then passing in engagement with a pair of idlerrolls.33, 34, and thence under and in contact with a plycator guide bararrangement 36 from which it pro,

- ceeds upwardly in single-doubled relation through a pair of :fingerguides 42 to a second set of driven nip rolls 44, thereby completing a180 reverse flow path which is normal to the general forward travel ofthe cloth. Nip rolls 44 may be driven in any suitable manner, as

for example by common connection to the drive mhtor is formed betweenthese guide surfaces, they may in'some instances be disposedasymmetrically one way or the other with respect to the horizontal ortheline extending coextensive with guide surface 37a, ifdesired. The

entire plycator guide bar arrangement ,36 isadjustably supported by anysuitable means such'as fixed frame members 45, as through the medium ofthreaded bolts 41 and nuts '43, for selective traverse positioning ofthe center thereof toaccomrnodate variedwidths of cloth.

,As will be'seen from Figure ..5,.the.cloth passes first under" and inengagement with guide surfaces 37a and 38a,'the left-handselvage. edge(as viewed in Figure 4) then passing traversely behind guide'members 38and 39'and then under-surface 33a, thence'between the spaced apart guidemembers and 37, with the right-hand half of the cloth C passing underguide surface 370 and thence upwardly between guide member 37 and guidemember 39. At this point, the cloth C will then be in singledoubledrelation, and with the intersecting point of the 7 guide surfaces 37a,38a and 39a disposed, at the center 31:. ,The plycator guide bararrangement 36 comprises three downwardly facing guide surfaces 37a,38a, 39a. The members 37,38, and 39 forming these guide surfacesarepreferably interconnected, as shown in Figure at a pointcorresponding to the centerline of the cloth C as it passes thereby, themember 39 being also connected at its Upper outer end to the verticalleg 37b of member 37. The guide surface 370 is parallel to the axis ofnip rolls 30 and 44 as well as idler rolls 33 and .34. Guide surfaces38a and 39a meet at right angles to each other and are spaced from themember 37 form line" (i.e., open width center line) of travel of thecloth the selvage edges of the single-doubled cloth will beapproximately in juxtapositioned alignment. Disposed above the guidemember 39 is afinger guide 42 which eittends from the right-hand edge ofthe doubled cloth to; the fold thereof, the cloth C passing in guidedrelation over this finger guide 42 after it leaves guide surfaces 37 and39, with this guide 42being disposed within the fold of the doubledcloth C. 1

'As will be noted from the foregoing description of the plycator bararrangement, the geometry of the guide surfaces 37a, 38a, and 39a, asWell as the nip roll and idler roll arrangements preceding andsubsequent thereto,

is such that the left half of the cloth C as viewed in Figure 4 passesthrough a shorter path under guide surface 38 than does the right-handedge of the cloth which. passes under horizontal guide surface 37. Bythis differ thereof in perfect alignment and 'without wrinkles or bulgesappearing either at the edges or,at any other point in the thus foldedcloth, particularly'in the region of thefold. Thus, "it will beseen thatthe flat open width cloth passesthrough driven nip rolls' 30 in thegeneral direction of cloth progression, thence downwardly'through airiselvage guides 32' (where any misalignment is corrected), about'idlerrolls 33-34, under and through plycator guide bar arrangement 36,upwardly through guide fingers 42, and thence through nip 'rolls 44,thereby completing a 180 reverse flow path such that the cloth C maycontinue along'its original general longitudinal path'in single-doubledrelation. 7

ing guide surface 37a by a spacer member 40, thespacing being of theorder of approximately A" or otherwise approximately equal to the doublefabric thickness to accommodate the passage of, cloth C in in-foldeddoubled: relation therebetween. Preferably the spacer member 40 7 V hasa smooth beveled or rounded'bottom edge, as shown, with the'right handside thereof closely aligned with the intersection point of the guidesurfaces 38a and 39a',

1 inorder' to provide for passage of the cloth Cpwith a of strainthereof in this'area, The guide members 38 and 39 are disposedrearwardly of "guide member 37 asviewed in Figure 5, with the guidesurfaces 38a and 39a forming an included angle of approximately 90 andeach forming approximately at 45 angle with respect to'the horizontaland thus with respect :to guide surface 37. The symmetrical 45-45 anglearrangement for the guide surfaces 380 and 39 is by far the An addedadvantage of the plycator guide bar arrangement 36'according to thisinvention is that it may readily be employed for opening single-doubledweb material by feeding the doubled web rfnaterial through the plycator36in reverse. direction to that for doubling; The thread up is the sameas illustrated with onlyv the reversal of clothmovernent being; requiredto achieve the opening u ctions The single-doubled cloth C, passesimmediately from the nip' rolls 44 to and about'a U-shaped bar 46horizontally mounted in any suitable manner as by securing tothelsupporting frame, not shown, and having one ofjts legs46aidisposed=very near the nip offthe rolls 44. The base 46b of theU-bar extends parallel with the longitudinal path of the cloth and liesin substantially the same vertical ,plane asthe junction of guidesurface portions 37a and 38a of guide bar 36, whereby 5 the fold of thecloth as it passes from the nip roll 44 is guided in distended relationover the base 46b as the cloth passes the U-bar 46.

The selvage edges of the single-doubled cloth C are engaged byconventional pivotally mounted mechanical selvage guiders 48 and 50which are disposed in foldedover position for alignment of the selvageedges of the cloth. Other than being disposed in folded-over spacedapart relation for engagement with the substantially horizontallyextending selvage edges, these selvage guiders are of conventionalconstruction and operation, as stated above, and will therefore not befurther described in detail.

A sewing machine 54 is disposed adjacent the forward leg 460 of U-bar 46for the purpose of stitching together the aligned selvage edges of thesingle-doubled cloth C as it passes thereby. To this end, an input guide52 guides the spaced apart parallel selvage edges toward each other forpassing through the sewing machine 54. The sewing machine is preferablyof the side-seaming doubled-needle type having two needles, one leadingthe other, so as to provide an extremely high speed sewing operation. Atsuch high speeds as are attained with the machine in this embodiment(e.g., approximately 9,600 stitches per minute), the needles tend tobecome overheated and, in order to minimize this condition, twinair-cooling nozzles (not shown) are provided in adjacent relationthereto, these nozzles being fed from any suitable source such as ablower fan (not shown). To provide for continuous uniform flow of clothC through the sewing machine 54, a puller head 62 is provided therefor,which is suitably connected in synchronous relation with the stitchingmechanism thereof, as indicated schematically at 60.

The cloth C emerges from the sewing machine 54 in side-seamed tubularform. From the puller head 62 of the sewing machine, this tubularmaterial passes through a rotary cutter 79, of any conventional type, inwhich it is cut into individual tubular forms of suitable length forindividual pillow cases, bags or the like, as may be desired. From therotary cutter 79 the individual tubular forms F are carried on aconveyor 72, which is preferably of the multiple continuous tape or belttype as shown, for further processing thereof. The conveyor 72 may bedriven from any suitable source such as motor 73, and is suitablysynchronized with the preceding drive arrangements as described above,including the drive means (not shown) for the rotary cutter 70, suchthat the individual tubular forms F are conveyed away from the rotarycutter 76 at a faster rate than the input rate of tubular material intothe cutter in order to arrange the tubular forms F in suitable spacedapart relation (i.e., of the order of several inches or more apart) forsubsequent transfer to a second conveyor arrangement, next to bedescribed.

A second multiple tape conveyor 110 is disposed at the output end of thefirst tape conveyor 72 for the purpose of transporting the individualtubular forms F through a second sewing operation as will besubsequently described. This second conveyor 116 is arranged with itsflow path at right angles to the flow path of conveyor 72, in order toconveniently provide for the sewing of the ends of the individualtubular forms F with a minimum of difficulty, and to provide for ease ofautomatic transfer and arrangement of forms F thereon for the sewingoperation.

The conveyor 72 is provided with an extension 74 having an inclinedsection 74a, the end of the extension 74 being adjacent to and above thelateral edge of conveyor 116. This height difierential is provided inorder to accommodate the transfer mechanism which doffs the individualtubular forms one by one from the output end of conveyor extension 74onto the adjacent upper surface of conveyor 11! The dofiing transfermechanism, generally indicated by the numeral 80, includes a steelframed gate 82 having a wire face 84. Gate 82 is pivot- 6 ally mountedas by being secured to an oscillatably mounted cross bar 86 to which issecured an actuating lever 88, the gate 82 being normally held inupstanding relation with its upper end disposed beneath the output endof conveyor extension 74 as by a counterspring 94 connected between afixed support and one end of actuating lever 83. A series of fingers 93on the free upper end of gate 82 rest on the tape idler shaft 76 whilethe gate is in inactive up position, the fingers resting between thetapes and serving together with the idler shaft 76 to form an effectiverear stop for the gate against the action of spring E4. A photoelectriccontrol circuit is provided for actuating the gate 82 to cause it topivot downwardly toward the second conveyor 110 for the transfer ofindividual tubular forms from conveyor extension 74. In the illustratedembodiment, this photoelectric circuit comprises a photo-cell disposedbeneath conveyor extension 74 and behind the wire face 84 of gate 82near the pivot end of the gate. A light source 92 is suitably mounted onthe opposite side of wire face 84 at a point which will not interferewith the pivotal dofiing action of gate 82, the light source havingmeans for directing a concentrated light beam through the Wire face 84and onto the photo-cell 90. The photocell 90 may be connected, asthrough an amplifier 100,

in circuit controlling relation with a heavy-duty solenoid 96, thearmature of which is suitably connected through suitable linkage '98 tothe actuating lever '88 in opposed relation to the counterspring 94.

The suitably spaced apart tubular forms F thus pass over the end ofconveyor extension 74 and begin a gravitational fall downwardly and infront of the gate 82. Upon interrupting the light beam from the lightsource 92 to the photo-cell 99, the photo-cell initiates a signal whichcauses the amplifier 106 to actuate solenoid 96. The position ofphoto-cell 99 is selected such that the forward end of each successivepillow case form F will be suitably disposed adjacent the front face ofthe Wire face 84 of the dofling gate at the instant that solenoid 96begins its pivotal movement of gate '82 so as to position this open edgein proper transverse seated relation on conveyor lit? for passagethrough the subsequent edge (bottom) sewing machine adjacent the edge ofconveyor 110, as later described. The dofling gate 82 is pivoted at arelatively fast rate and by virtue of the considerable air resistance tothe movement of the flat tubular form F, the form will be securely heldin frictional engagement with the wire face 84 of the gate during theentire pivotal transfer movement. At the end of the pivotal movement ofgate 82 the tubular form F lies on the upper surface of continuouslymoving tape conveyor 100 with its unsewn open end parallel to thedirection of movement of conveyor and aligned for subsequent bottom edgesewing thereof as the conveyor 110 moves the forms forward through asecond sewing machine.

It will be apparent that upon the cessation of interruption of the lightbeam to the photo-cell 99, by virtue of the downward pivotal movement ofgate 82, the solenoid 96 will be deactuated and the counterspring 94will cause the fast return of gate 82 to its normal upright position,whereupon it is in readiness to dotf the next succeeding tubular form Fas it leaves the conveyor extension 74. It is to be noted that thisentire doffing operation is quite fast compared to the speed of conveyor72, and therefore only a small spacing between forms F is necessary toaccommodate the dofling transfer mechanism. Also, by pulling the forms Foff the end of conveyor extension 74 before the trailing end thereoffalls oi, as shown in Figure 2, the spacing between forms F may bereduced to a minimum. The continuously moving second tape conveyor 110is provided with overrider tapes 1 12 for gripping and holding securelythe individual tubular forms F as they proceed from the dofiing area toand through a second sewing operation. These over-rider tapes not onlyserve to securely holdthe by the air turbulence created duringsubsequent doifing of the succeeding forms r. Disposed near the outputend of the over-rider tapes 112 and adjacent the longi tudinal edge ofconveyor 11% is provided a bottom-overlock sewing machine lit-4 whichmay be of any suitable conventional construction. This machine 114runscontinuously during the operation of the overall apparatus andserves to; close the adiacent'bottom end of each of the tubular-forms F.Due to the continuous running of sewing machine 114, the sequence ofpillow case forms passing through it'are all connected together by thesewing thread chain-elf formed thereby.

a To automatically separate" the sewn together pillow 7 case forms F, aphotoelectrically controlled thread severing. arrangement is provided insubsequent relation to the sewing machine 114. This severing arrangementin the instant embodiment takes the form of a pair ofphotocell-solenoid-operated scissors 120, as more clearly shown inFigure 6, which are suitably mounted adjacent the longitudinal edge ofconveyor 116, and are connected 'through a suitable linkage 104 to asolenoid 122. Solenoid 122 is connected in circuit-controlled relationwith i a conventional photo-cell and amplifier arrangement 126',

127 such that solenoid 122 is energized to close the scis- 7 an angleabove and ahead of this slot 128, and below and behind this slot thereis suitably mounted a light source of the trailing edge of eachsuccessive pillow case form F being conveyed from the overlock sewingmachine 114 will permit establishment of the light beam to photocell126, whereupon the solenoid 122 will be actuated to thereby close thescissors 12d and sever the connecting sewing thread. .Upon interruptionof the light beam by the nextisucceeding pillow case form F thesolenoid' 122 will be deactuated and the return spring 125 will open thescissors, which are then in readiness for the neat cutting operationwhich will occur after the passage of the trailing edge of the pillowcase form which is at that time serving to interrupt the light beam tothe photo- 7 cell 126.

- The pillowcase forms F, which have been sewn along @their doubled edgeand the cut bottom edge thereof to .form an open-ended bag, are nowseparate non-connected items which proceed along the tape conveyor 110to a second inclined extension 134 forming a continuation of conveyor110, similar to conveyor 72 and inclined extension 74, for the purposeof being doffed onto a third conveyor where they are stacked into neatbundles. To this end a second dofiing gate arrangement 140 of generallysimilar construction to that of dofiing gate transfer arrangement 8!),-previously described, is provided radjacentth output end of inclinedconveyor extension 134 and adjacent the longitudinal edge of a thirdnor; mally stationary continuous tape. conveyor lifl. The a idofiinggate control circuit 142 for'dofiing gate 140 is sim-ilar "to thatprovided for doliing gate '82. with the eiic'eption that upon eachdoifing'action of gate 140, the .dofiing gatecontrol circuit provides asignal which is transmitted toa counter and timer "circuit arrangement144, 145. Connter'144 and timer 145 may be of any suitable conventionalor desired design and construction, and are-.arranged in power-circuitcontrolling relation ends or edges Z are being'sewn with the drive-motor.146 fonconvyor15.0. -'.Upon

7 actuation of the counter 144, a predetermined number: of

a 139 which directs a light beam through slot 128 and onto thephoto-cell 126. Thus it can be seen that passage 9 substantially thesame plane as said fifth guide surface,

times by the individual dofiing actionsofgate .140,Lthe timer 145 willbeactuated and motor 150 willbe energized-for a predetermined short lengthoftime, as from a source of connected torleads 152,-. to move theconveyor a predetermined distance, The normallystationary and periodicmoving action of conveyor 150 is such that a predetermined number ofindividual tubular forms F are dofied and stacked in a neat' bundle onconveyor 15h,v whereupon the conveyor moves a short distance betweendofiing actions of dofiing gate arrangement 140 to move one stack fromthe dofiing area and permit the beginning of a new stack of the samepredetermined number on an adjacent section of the conveyor. Thecompleted stack of pillow case forms may then be removed by an operatorand further processed by subsequent operations such as sewing of a hemin each form and placing of'labels therein, folding, packaging, and thelike. v

it will be apparent that many modifications of this invention may bemade without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, and it istherefore to be understood that the invention is only to be limited asdefined by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: I a e -l. -Web handling apparatus including a doubler apparatuscomprising first, second and fifth spaced apart parallel guide surfaces,said second guide surface and a third and a fourth guide surface beingdisposed between said first and fifth guide surfaces, said third andfourth guide surfaces being interconnected and canted at an angle withrespect to oneanother and directed away from said first and fifth guidesurfaces, said second guide surface being laterally spaced from saidthird and fourth guide surfaces in the general direction or" said firstguide surface and lying in a substantially horizontal plane includingthe point of' intersection of said third and fourth'guide surfaces, aU-shaped guide bar, said bar being disposedwith its legs and web portionlying in the guide surface formed by the web of said U-bar being inaplane which substantially intersects the point of intersection of saidthird and fourth guide surfaces, selvage aligning means disposedadjacent the end of said leg portions of said U-bar and one each side ofthe plane 7 of said U-bar for aligning the selvage edges of doubledwebbing as it leaves said fifth guide surface and passes over saidU-shaped guide bar, edge-sewing means disposed adjaecnt the .leg of saidU-bar which is furtherest disposed from said first and fifth guide,surfaces, a rotary cutter adjacent the output side of said sewing meansfor Ahrongh said sewing means, anda second sewing means disposedadjacent a lateral edge of said last mentioned conveyor and adapted torun continuously during advancement of tube lengths thereby, threadsevering means disposed in flow relation subsequent'to said secondsewing means, and photoelectric control means operatively connected tosaid severing means, said photoelectric control means being operativelyresponsive to passage of said tube lengths thereby and adapted tointermittently actuate said severing meansto sever interconnecting:thread between said tube lengths,'a second tube element transfer meansdisposed at the discharge end of said last mentioned conveyor, and athird conveyor disposed at right angles to and beneath the discharge endof said last mentioned conveyor for reception of material from 'saidtransfer means, said third conveyor being normally stationary andoperable to advance in response to transfer of a predetermined number oftubular elements by said second transfer means.

2. Automatic pillow case forming apparatus comprising web doubler means,means for feeding full width web material in aligned relation into saiddoubler for aligning the edges of the doubled web as it passes from saiddoubler, edge sewing means disposed in material flow relation subsequentto and adjacent said edge guiding and aligning means, web advancingmeans operatively connected in synchronous relation to said sewingmachine and arranged to pull folded web material through said sewingmeans in timed relation to the stitching rate, cutter means disposedadjacent the output end of said web advancing means and adapted to cutWeb tubing passing therethrough into predetermined lengths, firstconveyor means disposed adjacent the output of said cutter for advancingthe cut web tubing lengths in spaced apart relation, second conveyormeans disposed at right angles to said first conveyor means and adjacentthe output end of said first conveyor means, transfer means fortransferring each individual length of web tubing from said firstconveyor onto said second conveyor with the open unsewn ends of each cutweb tube parallel to the direction of movement of said second conveyor,second edge-sewing means adjacent a lateral edge of said second conveyorand adapted to continuously sew the edges of said tubes adjacentthereto, said second conveyor including web hold-down means adapted tosecurely hold each cut web tube as it leaves the point of placement ontosaid conveyor and is advanced through said second edge-sewing means,severing means arranged adjacent the output end of said sewing means andoperatively responsive to passage of each separate cut tube whereby thesewn together tubes are severed from each other, and means for stackingthe sewn and severed tubes in bundles of selected number.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said doubler comprises a 180reverse-flow guide arrangement, said arrangement comprising first,second, and third guide means defining a 180 degree tortuous coursedirected substantially normal to the general path of web materialpreceding and subsequent thereto.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said second guide meanscomprises a first guide surface parallel to said first and third guidemeans, second and third guide surfaces canted with respect to said firstguide surface at equal angles thereto and intersecting one another atright angles, said first guide surface being at its inner end spacedfrom the intersection of said second and third guide surfaces andlongitudinally aligned therewith, the spacing between said first guidesurface and said intersection of said second and third guide surfacesbeing such as to permit a double fold of cloth to be passed in flowrelation therebetween.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein at least one of said transfermeans, comprises a pivoted gate, and photoelectrically responsivecontrol means operatively connected to said gate.

6. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said severing means comprisesa cutter, and photoelectric control means operatively connected to saidlast mentioned cutter.

7. Apparatus for conveying and handling individual items, comprisingfirst and second belt conveyors arranged in flow relation normal to oneanother, the output end of said first conveyor being disposed above andadjacent a lateral edge of said second conveyor, a normallysubstantially vertically extending gate pivotally mounted adjacent saidoutput end and between said output end and said lateral edge, andphotoelectric control means for pivotally moving said gate, said controlmeans including a solenoid having an armature, said armature beingdirectly coupled to said gate for direct movement or said gate uponenergization of said solenoid, said first conveyor output end beingdisposed above said lateral edge of said second conveyor and separatedtherefrom by a distance substantially equal to the length of said gatefrom its pivot point to its free end.

8. Web handling apparatus comprising a doubler apparatus, edge-sewingmeans disposed adjacent the output end of said doubler and adapted tosew together the adjacent selvage edges of a web doubled by said doublerapparatus, a-cutter adjacent the output side of said sewing means forcutting a tube formed by doubled material passed through said sewingmeans into short lengths of tubular material, first and second conveyormeans, said first conveyor means being adapted to convey and transfersaid tube lengths sequentially onto said second conveyor means, saidsecond conveyor means being disposed for movement substantially normalto the direction of movement through said sewing means, a second sewingmeans disposed adjacent a lateral edge of said last mentioned conveyorand adapted to run continuously during advancement of tube lengthstherepast, thread severing means being disposed in subsequent flowrelation to said second sewing means, and photoelectric control meansoperatively connected to said severing means, said photoelectric controlmeans being operatively responsive to passage of said tube lengthstherepast and adapted to intermittently actuate said severing means tosever interconnecting thread between said tube lengths, a second tubeelement transfer means disposed at the discharge end of said lastmentioned conveyor, and a third conveyor disposed at right angles to andbeneath the discharge end of said last mentioned conveyor for receptionof material from said transfer means.

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